Some Japanese game developers and publishers really don't care about the international market. As long as the domestic customers are happy, then that's all that matters! And hey, if foreign players buy the games, that's just an added bonus. So old fashioned! But some devs are open minded, forward thinking even. Take No More Heroes creator and Grasshopper Manufacturer bossman Goichi Suda. He wears cowboy boots! Here's his two cents on reaching an international market:

...more than anything we felt that Grasshopper's style is more suited to the foreign than the local Japanese market...
The Japanese fans are very important to me too, but we want to make a big breakthrough with the Grasshopper name someday, and to that end it's not enough for us to just focus on the Japanese market. I can't give you an exact percentage, but the Western market is extremely important.
When I make games, I always put in a lot of effort toward making them with an image of the Western audience in mind. The Western market is that important to me. I don't make games with only the Japanese in mind, I treat it as though people from all around the world are going to play my games.

Is there a difference between Western and Japanese gamers?

...the American and European audiences are more receptive to new games. They welcome change. The Japanese are more close minded and the market is showing signs of rejection towards new games. I think that's the main reason.

Did I ever tell you I think Suda is cool? Well, I think Suda is cool.

Grasshopper Interview [Gamasutra]